Analysis and development of production costs in Swiss vineyards | Analyse et evolution des couts de production en viticulture
Droz, Ph. | Wirthner, V.(Service romand de vulgarisation agricole, Lausanne (Switzerland))
The agricultural extension service of the French speaking part of Switzerland (Service romand de vulgarisation agricole, SRVA) calculates the production costs for the ten most frequent vine cultivation methods in Switzerland. These references let wine growers compare their individual results and adapt continuously their methods. The present article studies the results evolution since 1997. In an average year, production costs are between 31_000 Sfr./ha for vines with spacing close to 2 m with high levels of mechanisation and 55_000 Sfr./ha for narrow vines without mechanisation. Hourly labour costs, the main production factor, have increased. Labour needs have remained stable within the studied period. For certain jobs, such as tying or top cutting, an increase in mechanisation has permitted to diminish labour needs without direct increase of mechanisation costs. The particular meteorological conditions of 2003 induced a reduction of work hours in the vineyards with a density below 65 vines/a, whilst in denser vineyards, labour needs were less influenced. Direct payments per surface paid by the state could not compensate the unit production costs increase induced by the reinforcement of yield limitations. Labour productivity (kg of grapes produced per hour worked) is decreasing since 1997. This deterioration concerns mainly very steep vineyards, where the possibilities of mechanisation are scarce or inexistent. Rationalisation attempts, such as plots transformation or construction of access ramps for machines, could not compensate the costs increase in vineyards with light mechanisation. On the other hand, in tractor mechanised vineyards, rationalisation permitted a slight reduction in production costs. Possible technical changes in most Swiss wine regions are reaching quickly their limits. The technical adaptations should be combined with other initiatives such as increasing the product or site value.
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